His Only Friend
by HHdog13
Summary: Years after Zuko's banishment, he is reunited with someone from a dark moment in his past. Will this person help him uncover his true destiny? (I know my summary is terrible) Rated T because I'm paranoid :)
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

A thirteen year old Zuko walked back to the central part of the Fire Nation Palace, returning from his firebending lesson. The lesson hadn't went well. The instructor had been trying to teach Zuko a basic form, but it ended with him being yelled at for not doing it right and then being shunned because _"Azula had managed to master the form in less than an hour"_.

He sighed remembering the look of disgust on the firebender's face. Zuko had never been able to learn anything firebending related without struggling. And because of his sister being a prodigy, much to their father's pleasure, it made him seem like even more of a failure (which gave his father all the more opportunity to express how much of a disgrace Zuko was to the family).

He decided to stop by one of the training rooms to see if he could get anywhere with the new form. Most of the other firebenders trained in these rooms but Zuko had been told he wasn't skilled enough so he had his lessons taught elsewhere. The place was deserted which meant he could practice as much as he wanted without the fear of making mistakes and that information being passed to his father, after all - _"Azula never had to practice!" _

He breathed heavily, focusing on his inner fire, his eyes closed. As he opened them, he punched with his right hand then followed with a left kick. A blast of orange-yellow flames burst from his hand but as he kicked, he lost his balance and fell backwards, landing on his bottom. He had yelped in pain and then he heard a muffled giggle from behind a wall.

At first he thought it was Azula coming to tease him but he then realised that she woudn't have bothered to hide from him. He glared at the wall and called out "Who's there? Show yourself," the last part came out more shaky than he would have liked. To his surprise, a girl, about his own age, stepped out from behind the wall.

She was roughly his height and had dark brown, almost black, hair. Though it was her eyes that caught Zuko's attention. They were like his but slightly more orange, making them look more copper than gold_. 'They're Beautiful.' _he thought. Infact he'd thought he'd seen them before.

_'Oh! She's one of the servants. I saw her cleaning one of the meeting rooms last week. But how did she end up here? She can only be fourteen at the most and the servants are usually older than that.'_

He then realised he'd been staring at her. He shook himself out of the daydream and turned away from her, blushing.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked timidly.

"My apologies Prince Zuko, I was asked to come in and clean before the young princess' firebending lesson but I noticed you were practising so I didn't want to disturb you," her voice was warm and friendly.

He turned to see she was bowing to him, waiting for orders.

"You can stop with the formalities, it's not as if I'm much of a prince anyway. I can't even firebend without being a failure..."

She stood straight again and gave him a look of pity.

"If you want I could help you?" she asked.

"How could you help?" the question sounded harsher than he'd expected but if she was hurt by it, she didn't show it.

"I'm a firebender,"

"What's a firebender doing cleaning as a servant in the palace? " now he was curious.

"My mother was a servant but she died during childbirth," she turned away for a moment, probably upset by the thought. "Anyway, she wasn't married so the palace just kept me and the other servants raised me here."

"What about your father? Where's he?"

"I don't know. He's a soldier in the army, some guy named Lee according to what the other servants told me, but I doubt he even knows I exist. The only thing I do know is that he's the reason I can firebend... So do you want my help or not?" she stared at him, waiting on his answer.

He nodded.

"Right. Do the kick again so I can see what you're doing wrong."

He stood up and walked to the middle of the floor. He breathed in and kicked out. And as he predicted, he lost balance again and fell backwards... again. She looked at him, lost in thought. She walked over and reached out a hand to help him up. He grabbed it and pulled himself up, standing next to her.

"Your not rotating your hip enough. Turn more as you kick out, it will keep you balanced." He just stood staring, not fully understanding. She huffed "Watch what I do and copy it then." He nodded.

The girl took a few steps away from the prince and kicked out turning almost sideways as her leg straightened. A blast of deep orange flames extended from her foot.

"Now you try it," She smiled as she walked back towards him.

He walked to where she had stood and tried to remember her movements. He breathed in again and kicked out. This time he turned his hip, like she had done, turning almost sideways. He didn't fall and a blast of flames shot from his foot.

He smiled, excited by what he'd just done. He glanced to his right and realised she was smiling too.

"Thanks uh..." he didn't even know her name. She seemed to understand what he was thinking because she responded.

"I'm Aralynn. But you can call me Ara if you want to," she smiled again.

"Thanks Ara," Zuko said as he headed for the door. "I should get going but I'll see you again some time?"

"Sure," she replied as he walked out. "Bye."

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Ara and Zuko became good friends. Ara was helping the young prince with his firebending and afterwards, they would sit and talk. They were both happy in each others company and as long as no-one else in the palace found out, it would continue like that.

When they would talk, they would share stories about their day. Zuko had told her how the firenbending teacher had been in a state of shock when he'd gone to his lesson the day after they met. He couldn't believe that Zuko had perfected the form in such a short time. They laughed for what seemed like an age as he told her about it.

They had also began to confide in each other. She would tell him about nobles in the palace being meen to her and her fears about being discovered as a firebender. That scared Zuko as well. To join the army you had to be at least sixteen, but if you were a firebender, the age dropped to thirteen. Being a firebender meant that you were expected to join the army regardless of gender or situation. Because Ara was fourteen, if it were to be discovered that she was a bender she would be punished for not _'Helping the war effort'. _Zuko didn't want her to join. Without her, he would be completely alone in the palace, well except for uncle of course, but he liked having someone his own age to talk to.

He would always tell her that. He used think all girls were crazy, after all, the only girls he really knew were Azula and her friends which didn't help him a great deal. But she was different. She was someone he could trust and confide in. He would tell her about how he missed his mother and his fear of his father and sister. He wouldn't know what to do without her.

* * *

"This is so boring," Zuko said as he opened his eyes.

"Ssshhh. Your supposed to be meditating," Ara said as she whacked the back of his head.

"Ow! That hurt!" he yelled and shoved her.

"Hey!" she shoved back.

What started out as a playful shove, turned into a full-out wrestling match. They were rolling in the ground trying to pin each other down, laughing throughout.

"Right that's it! Lets see if you firebending's improved since our last match!" she taunted and stood up taking several paces backwards.

He accepted the challenge and blasted a fist of fire in her direction, which she easily blocked. She returned with a similar attack. Zuko dodged it and kicked flames at her. She ducked and ran towards him while he sent blasts of fire her way. She dodged them and kept advancing towards Zuko. When she was close enough, she jumped and flipped over him, landing on her feet behind him. Before he could react, she shoved him and he landed flat on his face. He groaned in pain and rolled over onto his back, to see her fist inches from his nose.

"Yield?" she asked with a smirk on her face. She let the tiniest of flames flicker from her knuckles and it lightly brushed Zuko's nose.

"Yield," he laughed, the flames tickling him.

"WHAT IS THIS!?" a voice cut through the momentary silence.

The two teens stared in horror at the door. The Firelord was standing staring at them with a look of rage displayed on his face. That's when Zuko realised the situation before them. His father was seeing a servant girl, who can apparently firebend, pinning the Crown Prince to the crown in a threatening manner.

"HOW DARE YOU ATTACK THE PRINCE OF YOU NATION! YOU FILTHY PEASANT!" his father yelled again.

"NO father she wasn't trying to hurt me! Please she was helping me with my firebending!" Zuko pleaded but his father wasn't listening.

Instead, the Firelord stormed over to Ara and grabbed her hair at the nape of her neck and pulled it. Her head was forced back so she was looking directly into his eyes. She looked as if she about to cry. Zuko had never seen her cry.

"You will be punished for your treason to your nation and your people! And treason has some of the most horrible punishments imaginable," the Firelord taunted her like it was a game to him.

He let go of her and she fell to her knees, looking at the ground. He raised his hand and Zuko realised what he was going to do. He was going to burn her, possibly even kill her. He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't lose his only friend.

His father conjured a flame in his palm and just as he was about to strike, Zuko ran into him and knocked him over. The fire launched from the Firelord's hand and Zuko heard a scream. He quickly sat up and saw Ara clutching her side. 'At least she's alive' he thought.

"YOU TRAITOR!" Zuko jumped and turned to his father, who looked like he was going to set the entire palace on fire. "YOU WILL BE SEVERELY PUNISHED FOR THIS YOU STUPID BOY!"

"RUN!" Zuko yelled to Ara, who was now crying after the Firelord's confrontation. She was still frozen where she stood. He gave her a pleading look. "GO!" after that she ran out the door.

Running down the corridors of the palace, her heart broke in two when she heard the gut wrenching cry that was unmistakably Zuko in what must have been excruciating pain. She didn't look back. She knew if she had, she wouldn't have been able to leave Zuko behind. She ran out of the palace and into the surrounding village. She didn't stop until she reached the port.

She had only the clothes she wore so she had to sneak aboard one of the ships. She wasn't caught and the ship set sail, hopefully to somewhere far away. One the she did know, is that she would not be returning to her homeland. At least, not for a very long time.

* * *

**Did you enjoy? This is my first Fanfiction so please review. Thanks :) **


	2. Chapter 1: Jet's a Thug

**Skipping a few episodes so this chapter starts in the episode "Jet"**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar blah blah blah, any familiar speech is probably lifted from the show **

**btw – italics is thoughts, if it's not obvious :)**

**Hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Sokka walked behind the trio of Freedom Fighters as they headed back to the hideout. _'They attacked and robbed a helpless old man.'_ He felt guilty because he could have done more to stop Jet but he didn't. He heard them laughing, pleased with their prize – the bag they'd grabbed off of the old man.

"Hey Sokka! Hurry up!" Jet yelled back. Sokka ignored him. He was leaving with Aang and Katara the moment he arrived back. He wasn't staying any longer than what was necessary. Because now he understood; Jet was dangerous.

The voices went quiet in front of him. He looked up and saw the trio staring into the trees. He ran up to where they were standing and turned to glance in the same direction. He gasped.

A girl, maybe a year or two older than him, was sleeping in a bundle on the forest floor. He noticed the katana at her side and a small rucksack, which looked to be her only belongings. Her clothes were scruffy and ragged, probably the only things she'd been wearing for months. But underneath all the dirt and grime, she was rather beautiful.

Sokka glanced behind his shoulder and saw the leader of the Freedom Fighters with an evil smirk on his face. He knew what Jet was going to do – he was going to rob her like he robbed the old man. Sokka scowled.

"Jet you can't be serious? She's on her own with practically nothing and you're going to steal from her while she's asleep!?" Sokka tried to control his anger but he couldn't let Jet do this.

"C'mon Sokka! Have you never heard of 'Survival of the fittest'? That's how the Fire Nation work. And to survive we need to take advantage of this situation and make ourselves stronger."

"And you think one girl's tiny rucksack and sword are going to make us that much stronger? Wow Jet, I know you're a thug but I didn't think you'd be this cruel and heartless! She's only one girl, just leave her alone. Haven't you caused enough pain for one day?"

"I'm done discussing this Sokka! I'm doing this so I suggest you keep your mouth shut!" and with that, Jet approached the slumbering teen.

He crept silently towards her, reaching for the items he'd come for. His fingers brushed against the strap on the bag when suddenly, cool metal touched his neck. The girl had been awake and heard the entire conversation. She had her katana on Jet's throat.

"Should've listened to your friend there," she nodded in Sokka's direction. She pressed the blade harder against him.

"P-please! I-I'm sorry. I'll leave you alone. J-just let me go!" Sokka had never heard Jet so terrified.

"Hmm... I don't know if I should. What was your name again? Jet? Which would make you the boy who's been causing trouble round these parts. Bet I'd get a fortune for you from the soldiers?" She taunted.

Smellerbee and Pipsqueak lunged towards them, but that only made the girl press the blade closer. A small dribble of blood rand down Jet's neck.

"Ah ah ah. You two stay right where you are. Now," She stared into Jet's eyes with a terrifying glare, retracting the blade slightly. "When I take my sword away, you're gonna back away slowly and leave with your buddies. Got it?" Jet nodded frantically.

She brought the blade back and allowed Jet to retreat. She sheathed it again and picked up her pack, throwing it on her shoulder. Jet was standing with the others now, wiping the blood from his neck.

"I underestimated you," his calm 'Freedom Fighter' voice was back again. "Why don't you come with us and join our group of Freedom Fighters? We could use a fighter like you."

She looked at him with clear hatred but then glanced at Sokka. He had tried to help her. She trusted _him_. "I'll come with you but I'm not agreeing to anything just yet." she walked over to join the others.

* * *

"The Avatar is heading north. Keep the ship going in his direction!" Zuko barked at his crew. Iroh was standing beside him with a concerned look on his face.

"Prince Zuko, this obsession isn't good for you. Maybe you should focus on finding other things?"

"Like what Uncle!?" the young prince snapped

"Well you should try to find peace. Accept what has happened. Start a new life. Maybe even look for _her_. Last we heard, she'd stowed away on an earth kingdom ship-"

"She's not important! I need to capture the Avatar so I can go home! Not go searching for some stupid servant girl!" Zuko snapped again, subconsciously touching his scarred cheek. He turned away, focusing again on the horizon. Iroh walked away, shaking his head.

* * *

The girl walked between Jet and Sokka on the way to the hideout. Jet rambled on about his hate of the Fire Nation and how he was going to destroy them. This gave nobody else the opportunity to speak but Sokka didn't mind because it gave him a chance to study the girl more.

She was tan, not as tan as he was of course, but Sokka figured that it was from living outside for so long. She was tall, shorter than Jet but probably the same height as their enemy prince. Her hair was a _very_ dark brown and was tied up in a high ponytail which ended just above her bottom. Sokka refrained himself from looking there. Her fringe was long and almost completely covered her gleaming, coppery eyes, which were still extremely obvious despite them being partially hidden. Sokka knew they were Fire Nation but he said nothing in fear of what Jet would do to her.

"So what's your name?" Sokka said when Jet finally stopped talking.

"Ara," the girl replied.

"How'd you end up out here, by yourself?"

"Uh.. kind of a long story but basically I can't go back home, at least not right now," her voice showed she was uncomfortable with the subject.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Sokka gave her a small smile which she returned.

"Were back." Jet called out. Ropes flew down from the trees and Jet and the others, including Sokka, grabbed one each. The other two freedom fighters were lifted into the trees. Jet reached out a hand towards Ara.

"Hold on to me Ara," Sokka scowled, this was the move Jet had used to gain his sister's trust. But what she said next surprised both of them.

"Actually, I think I'll go up with Sokka. If that's okay with you?" the last sentence dripped with sarcasm, clearly displeasing Jet.

"Sure...that's fine," he huffed and then the rope carried him away.

Ara smirked and turned to face Sokka, who was stood rigid as she wrapped her arms around his waist. He put his free arm around her and then they were lifted into the trees. He knew she was doing it to annoy Jet, but he still blushed at having a girl holding on to him like this.

She shifted herself to get a better grip as they ascended, which made Sokka's blush deepen. She was now pressed tightly against him and it took all his self-control to keep his blood from rushing to a certain place. He sincerely hoped she wouldn't notice how uncomfortable he was.

When they reached the treetop hideout, Sokka let out the breath he'd been holding, as Ara let go of him. They started walking to the cabin that he, Katara and Aang were using but they found the two before they reached it.

"How'd it go?" Katara asked.

"We're leaving. Now," his eyes were fixed on his sister's to show her, he was serious.

"What? Why!?"

"He's a thug Katara! He robbed a helpless old man and tried to rob Ara!" he pointed in the direction of the older teen. This was the first moment Katara and Aang had even noticed her standing there. Katara gave her a look as if to say _'Is he being serious?'_

"He did try to rob me so I assume the robbery of the old man is also true," Ara answered the silent question.

"No! Jet wouldn't do that," Katara yelled.

"Katara he tried to rob a girl who was alone in the woods and _asleep,_" he brother yelled back.

"Maybe he was trying to help you?" she looked at Ara now.

"No Katara, he told me exactly what he was planning to do. He was going to take her pack and her sword and leave her there with nothing!" Sokka yelled

"I heard that too," Ara added.

"I want to hear Jet's side of the story," Katara said as she stormed towards Jet's cabin.

"He has her wrapped around his little finger, doesn't he?" Ara whispered to Sokka as they followed the angry watertribe girl.

"Yeah..." Sokka sighed.

* * *

"He was sent to eliminate me." Jet looked up from the knife."You helped save my life Sokka."

"See I told you there was a good explanation," Katara looked at her brother.

"There was no knife and how do you plan on justifying what you did to Ara?" the last part was aimed at Jet.

"We didn't know if she was dangerous. I had to take her sword in case she ever attacked us. And I was right, she tried to kill me," he lifted his head to show them the small cut where the blade had sliced him.

"You what?!" Katara glared at the older girl.

"Believe me I had no intentions of killing. But he tried to take my stuff, I was just protecting myself!" Ara returned the glare.

"He can't be trusted Katara! Can't you see he's manipulating you?!" Sokka yelled.

"I think she's the one who can't be trusted!" Katara turned to face the other girl. " And if you hate Jet that then much why don't you leave!"

"You know, I think I will," Ara walked out of Jet's cabin.

"Well done Katara. Now she's going to be alone again!" Sokka pointed at the door.

"She obviously prefers it that way so just let her. She must be dangerous if she managed to hurt Jet." Sokka groaned at that comment, knowing Jet's not the big tough guy he makes himself out to be.

* * *

Sokka was following Jet and his gang through the forest. After Ara left, he had been keeping a close eye on what they were doing.

"Don't blow up the dam until you hear my signal. Got it?" Jet said to the others. Sokka gasped. It was loud and before he knew it, two of the freedom fighters had him kneeling in front of Jet.

"Jet you can't do this! You'll destroy the entire village. You'll be killing innocent people!" Sokka yelled.

"It has to be done in order to rid this valley of the Fire Nation. It will be a victory Sokka!" Sokka just stared at him, nostrils flaring. "Take him on a walk. A long walk. Can't have him revealing our plan to his sister and the Avatar."

Sokka was dragged off by Smellerbee and Pipsqueak.

* * *

They had been walking him through the woods for what seemed like hours. Sokka knew he had to try to warn someone about what was happening. But first he would need to get away from Jet's henchmen.

As if on cue something fell from the trees. Sokka couldn't make it what it was but it lingered there in the shadows. The freedom fighters hadn't seen it, they were too busy throwing insults in his direction.

The shadow jumped out from the trees and knocked the freedom fighters on their backs. Sokka felt a blade slice through the rope that bound his hands. He turned to face the shadow and he felt relieved.

"Ara! You came back!"

"I couldn't just leave you guys with that maniac. Now come on, start running!"

They ran through the trees, the freedom fighters running after them. Sokka spotted some Fire Nation animal traps and dragged Ara in their direction. The two them dodged the traps ad kept running, hearing the sound of the freedom fighters being caged.

"Thanks for rescuing me but we're not safe yet. Jet's going to blow up the dam and destroy the village."

"What!?" Ara gasped.

"We need to get to the dam now, before he blows it up and floods the village,"

"Sokka, we'll never make it in time. The dam is on the other side of the forest," She stared at her feet so she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Fine. You go find Jet and keep him distracted from giving the signal. I'll go to the village and get the villagers to safety." said Sokka.

Ara nodded then ran in the direction of the hideout. It wasn't far from where she and Sokka had split up but she heard what sounded like fighting, coming from the cliff side. She ran over and found Jet attacking Aang while Katara was yelling at him to stop.

They'd figured out his plan.

Jet swung his curved sword at Aang but before it could make contact with him, she blocked it with her own. Jet growled.

"What are you doing back here?!" he yelled. _'Right. Distraction time Ara. Time to reveal the truth.'_

"I'm trying to protect my people," Jet gave her a confused glance. "Look at my eyes, Jet. _My_ people." that must have made it click because he growled again.

"Fire Nation! You're Fire Nation!" _'ugh! Finally'_

"Well it took you long enough," she said sarcastically.

He growled again and swung his swords at her. Within moments they were in a fierce battle, both opponents intending to hurt each other. Jet managed to knock her sword from her grip and it landed in the trees. He ran at her, ready to end their fight. _'Well I guess it's time to reveal more secrets'_ she thought.

Before he could reach her, she sent a fire blast at him. He was so surprised that he almost didn't move but at the last second, he dove away from the scorching fireball. She heard Katara and Aang gasp from behind her.

"Firebending scum!" Jet was back on his feet, running at her again.

The fight continued with Jet with his swords and Ara throwing fire blasts. Jet managed to hook one of Ara's feet with a sword and he tugged it forward. Ara landed on her back and Jet lunged with his sword. The blade was inches from her face, when Jet was knocked back by a wave of water. Katara threw several more water waves at jet before freezing him to a tree. Ara nodded to her as a thank you.

"I have to get to the dam," Aang said unfolding his glider. He jumped on it but fell almost immediately. The glider was too damaged to fly.

"Sokka's our only hope now," Katara said helping Aang to his feet. A whistle echoed across the valley and Jet smirked.

"You're too late," Jet said and he whistled back. Within moments they could hear an explosion and a rush of water. The town was flattened by the force of the water.

"Jet you monster! How could you just kill an entire village like that!" Katara cried, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"This was a victory Katara!" Jet yelled, still frozen to the tree. "This valley is safe now!"

"Yeah. Without you," Sokka appeared above them, riding Appa. "I went and warned the village about you plan. They thought I was a spy but one man believed me – the one you attacked. He convinced everyone to trust me and we got the villagers to safety. Ara came here to distract you and buy me more time."

"You idiot! We could have made this place safe from the Fire Nation!"

"Who would be safe Jet? Everyone would be dead."

Jet fought against his frozen prison, screaming in anger. Aang and Katara climbed onto Appa's back and into the saddle. Ara had picked up her things and was heading for the trees.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Aang called out.

"I'm getting away from this place before his-" She nodded at Jet, "little gang come back and they try to kill me."

"But why are you going by yourself? Come with us," Aang smiled at her.

"You want me to come with you? But I am I firebender, don't you hate me?"

"Usually we'd say yes. But you helped save that village, and you stopped Jet from hurting Aang so no. We don't hate you," it was Katara who spoke this time.

"Thanks," Ara said climbing onto Appa's saddle. "It's nice to be around people again."

They had been flying for a few minutes when Aang spoke.

"Sokka, how did you know to go to the village and not the dam?"

"Let me guess, instincts?" Katara said.

"Yep, and I know I shouldn't rely on them all the time but you have to accept that sometimes your instincts are right."

"Sokka, you do know we're going the wrong way?" Aang giggled.

"And sometimes they're wrong." he tugged on Appa's reins and turned them around. As they flew through the clouds, he turned to look at Ara. "So.. you're a firebender?"

* * *

**So Ara's joined the Gaang, Zuko's still snappy and Sokka has a little crush.**

**A katana is a traditional Japanese sword for anyone who wasn't sure.**

**Please review and if you have any ideas, feel free to share them (seriously. I have no plan and I'm pretty much making this up as I go)**

**until next time :)**


	3. Chapter 2: Tears and Truths

**Yay! Another chapter.**

**This one takes place in the episode "The Storm"**

**Disclaimer: don't own avatar blah blah...**

**Enjoy :)**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

"Aaahh!" Aang awoke from his dream, heart racing. The two water tribe teens sat up, giving him concerned looks.

"Are you okay?" Katara asked.

"Yeah. It was just a nightmare. I don't really want to talk about it.."

"Do you want to hear about my dream?" Sokka's question was received with glares. "It's fine. I didn't want to talk about it anyway." he rolled over, intending on going back to sleep.

"Nngff," the muffled noise alerting the three to look at the far side of their camp. Since Ara had only just started to live amongst people again, she kept her distance. It appeared that Aang wasn't the only one having a bad dream tonight.

"Noo," her voice sounded weak and distraught. "No don't... Zuko!" the other teens gasped in unison.

"Did... did she just say what I think she said?" Sokka was the first to speak.

"She just said Zuko. As in angry, firebending, banished prince of the Fire Nation Zuko!" Katara started to ramble in the shock of it. "What if she's working with him? What if she's really here to gain our trust and then take Aang to him the next time we meet? We can't trust her anymore. We need to -"

"Katara!" Aang yelled as quietly as he could. "Did you not here her? She was terrified. Even if she did know Zuko, by the sounds of things, she isn't on his side. If anything she's probably just as scared of him as we are!"

"I'm sorry Aang you're right, she did sound terrified. Do you think we should ask her about it?"

"No. I think it's a memory she'd rather forget... come on, let's get some sleep before the sun comes up."

The three of them lay back in their sleeping bags and drifted back into quiet dreams.

* * *

The next morning, Ara was the first to wake. Over the few days she had been travelling with the group she'd had to take in a lot of information. Sokka had spent most of his time giving Ara a detailed retelling of their journey. This included finding Aang in an iceberg and there many, _many_ encounters with Zuko.

She tried to keep calm when they mentioned prince. If they found out she knew him, they would definitely begin to trust her less. She knew she'd have to tell them soon, unless she wanted them to find out at their next run in with him, and that would not turn out well for anybody.

From what Sokka had been telling her, Zuko had changed a lot. He wasn't the little, shy prince she'd known but then, being burned (Sokka had given her a very vivid description of the scar) and banished from your home by your own father would change a person. And she wasn't sure how he was going to react when they meet again.

And they were going to meet again, he was hunting the Avatar. She was scared about meeting him again because it would mean choosing a side, she hated choosing sides. And to top it all off, the stress from all of this was giving her vivid dreams of her time in the palace, including _that_ day.

Ara was walking through the woods thinking about all of this. She was looking for a good spot to meditate. When she found a small clearing, she sat with her legs crossed and focused on her breathing. It wasn't the same without candles but it would have to do.

She heard rustling from the trees and her eyes shot open. Someone was watching her. The rustling came again from bushed nearby. Ara shot a fireball burning down the bush. She heard a yelp and the sound of running.

She ran after the intruder, who wasn't very fast. She quickly caught up with them and tackled them to the ground. There was a grunt and she pushed herself up so she was straddling the figure, getting a view their face.

"Agni! Sokka, were you following me?" he lay beneath her, cowering in fear.

"Sorry. I just saw you walking into the woods and I wanted to see where you were going," he looked up at her, lazuline eyes meeting amber ones.

"Sokka!" she laughed slightly."Have you never been told that it's dangerous to sneak up on a firebender?"

"Yeah... I guess it wasn't a great idea," he blushed.

"C'mon. Lets go back to camp," she climbed off of him and the two walked back through the woods.

When they got back, Aang and Katara had already packed up and were sitting on Appa.

"Where are we going?" Sokka asked.

"We're almost out of supplies. We need to find a village to buy more," Katara replied.

Sokka shrugged and he and Ara climbed into Appa's saddle with their packs.

* * *

"Lieutenant. You better learn some respect. Or I will teach it to you," Zuko snapped.

Jee growled and the two began circling each other, waiting for someone to initiate the fight. Before either of them could strike, Iroh stepped between them.

"Calm down both of you. I'm sure we're just all tired and stressed from being at sea for so long," Iroh's voice was completely calm.

Jee growled again and went below deck. Iroh walked over to his nephew and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I do not need your help keeping control on my ship Uncle," He shrugged the hand off and stormed off, wanting to be alone.

Iroh went below deck, heading for his room, when he overheard Lt. Jee and some other crew members talking.

"I'm sick of this. I'm sick of that prince and I'm tired of hunting his stupid Avatar!" Jee yelled.

"Zuko is good at heart," the crew gasped when they saw Iroh looking down at them. "He may seem spoiled and cruel but I assure you he is good. He has been through a lot and it has affected him greatly."

"Zuko has a good heart? Ha! I'd like to see you prove that!" Jee spat. Iroh sat down next to him and began to speak.

"After his mother left, there was nobody left to protect Zuko from his father. Zuko, in a way, was completely alone in the palace. He had no friends, his own family had all but disowned him and his teachers were very unkind. That all changed when he met a young servant girl..."

* * *

The four teenagers arrived in a small port village. They hid Appa in the nearby woodland and had walked into the port, so as not to attract attention.

"I think I see a vegetable stall over there. Ara," Katara looked at the taller girl."You should probably buy some new clothes while we're here."

"Why?" Katara didn't answer but instead hinted for the girl to look at the rags she wore."There not that bad. Besides, we need food more than clothes."

"I agree with that," Sokka said as his stomach growled.

"Yeah guys... I don't even think we have enough money for food." Aang held out the few remaining copper pieces they had left.

"Ara, you got any money?" Sokka asked, already knowing the answer.

"I haven't needed money in ages, what with living in the woods for almost a year." a hint of humour could be heard in her tone.

"Well what did you do when you did need money." Aang asked.

"I was a street entertainer." the other three shared hopeful glances. "But this doesn't look like the sort of town for busking." she said looking around and the run down buildings.

"There's a storm coming. My joints say so!" the group overheard an older women yelling. "I ain't going out on that boat."

"Fine I'll get someone else to go and pay them double!" the gentleman replied.

"I'll go!" Sokka jumped in.

"No! Sokka she's right. I can sense it in the air." Ara spoke.

"Really? How can you tell?"

"When you've been living outside for almost three years, you learn to recognise the signs of a storm."

"Oh... But maybe you're wrong. And we need the money," Sokka pleaded.

"There are other ways to get money Sokka. Maybe I should try street performing." Ara really didn't want him to go.

"Fine we'll try it your way," he gave in.

* * *

"I always thought Zuko had gotten the scar in a training accident," Jee gasped. Iroh had told them about the day of Zuko's banishment.

"No, it was no accident. And I fear worse things would have happened to the girl, had Zuko not stepped in." Iroh cringed at the thoughts.

"What do you mean? What would have happened to her?" Jee was confused. "I thought that being burned was their typical punishment for servants?"

"That's how Ozai made it seem. If he caught one of his female servants being disobedient, he would make their punishment very public. But afterwards, he would take them away for his personal use..."

"So you're saying that if Zuko hadn't stepped in, she would have become..." Jee trailed off.

"Yes. She would have become one of Ozai's concubines." The crew members gasped.

"But she was just a girl, barely a woman. Would he really do that?"

Iroh bowed his head in shame of his brother's actions."He's not the great and noble leader he makes out to be and I'm sorry to call him my brother."

"I've never heard of him doing such things. But now Zuko is starting to make sense. With a father like that... who could blame him for the way he acts." Jee said.

* * *

"Okay, so what exactly is your street performing thingy anyway?" Sokka asked, looking at the things Ara had collected. "And why don't you wear that instead of your rags?"

She had tiny pots of coloured powder, which she had been keeping in the bottom of her pack, lined up in front of her. Her rags had been replaced by a rather delicate outfit, which Sokka thought looked made her look like a gypsy, which she had also forgotten to mention to her companions.

Sokka had seen gypsies one day when they were in a village. They wore baggy silk pants and matching tops which ended just below their busts. They had fancy headdresses and veils covering their faces. Ara's outfit was the same, minus the head wear, and was pitch black. He noticed a few burn scars on her waist but he figured they were from a sparring accident or something.

"To answer your first question, it's a surprise. And the second, because this kind of outfit attracts _unwanted_ attention. If you know what I mean." she glanced in the direction of a group of men eyeing her.

Sokka noticed and understood. "...oh."

Ara stood up and handed her bag to Sokka. "You guys stand over there by the fountain. Oh! And I need something to collect money in." Katara handed her a small tin and then the three of them walk over to the fountain.

Ara stood up and slipped the pots of powder into her sleeves. She walked into the middle of the square and set down the tin. A crowd had already began to form, curious about the girl's attire. Suddenly, Ara shot a ball of fire. But instead of her normal orange fire blast, it was a vibrant purple. The crowd gasped in excitement.

For the next few minutes, Ara continued to dance while blasting various colours of fire around her. It was magical. The huge crowd of people were entranced by her movements, so entranced that nobody noticed the small Fire Nation ship docking in the harbour.

The storm had past a couple of hours ago and Zuko's ship had been damaged. They decided to stop at the nearest port and stock up on supplies while the repairs were made. Zuko hated shopping with Iroh, in-fact, Zuko just hated shopping.

They had left the ship and were heading over to some stalls when something caught Iroh's attention.

"Oh look Zuko! There is someone performing in the square. And it looks like they're a firebender!" Zuko didn't bother looking. He could here the commotion behind them.

"I doubt there'd be such a big crowd if they were actually firebending. People tend not to like us here." he huffed.

"Ah but if you turn and look, you'll notice why that is not the case." Zuko turned at this comment and his breath caught in his throat.

He had become entranced like everyone else, although not for the same reasons. He had always known firebending to be fierce and deadly. But this was different. Not just the colours but the way the young woman danced within the flames, made it seem beautiful and delicate. He walked closer to the crowd, trying to get a better view.

Zuko wasn't the only boy trying to get a better look. Sokka had been shoved out of the way by villagers observing the dance. When he'd finally got back to the front he couldn't take his eyes off her. She looked beautiful surrounded by the coloured fire. He felt compelled to run over and join in with her dancing.

Zuko was now standing at the opposite side of the square from Sokka but neither boy had noticed the other. It was only when Zuko caught a glimpse of the scars on the girls waist that he finally realised who she was. _'Ara?'_ he gasped internally. _'She's alive!'_

He wanted to run over to her and hug her but he knew she'd be scared off. She'd never seen his scar and after what happened, he doubted she'd even want to see him again. She had finished her performance with a blast of blue fire from her mouth and was now watching people putting money in her tin. He could easily walk over but he didn't. He just stood where he was.

Ara ran over to the other three, showing them the quite significant amount of money she'd been given. They still hadn't noticed the scarred prince watching them. _'She's with the Avatar? Dammit! That makes this so much harder!' _he started walking over to them. Katara noticed.

"Guys. We need to go!" she pointed in Zuko's direction. The others gasped and the two boys started running. Ara froze.

She stared at the prince, her eyes filling with tears. It had been three years but to her, it felt like yesterday. Only now they were both scarred and far away from home. He looked into her eyes, obviously experiencing the same emotions, as he walked closer. Ara felt a tug on her arm.

"Ara come on! We need to go!" it was Katara. She let the younger girl drag her away into the forest.

Zuko tried to run after them but he knew he'd lost them when he saw the bison fly overhead. He saw the copper eyed girl looking down at him and he allowed a single tear to roll down his cheek. His uncle walked up from behind him.

* * *

The teens relaxed once they saw the port in the distance. Ara sat quietly in the corner, hugging her knees. She slid her hand down her leg, feeling for her anklet. She gasped. _'It's gone! It must have broken off when we were running' _She hugged her knees tighter and then noticed the other three staring at her.

"Would you mind telling us how you know him?" Katara's tone was rather irritated but Ara ignored it.

"Is it that obvious?" Ara gave a weak smile.

"You said his name in your sleep last night," It was Aang that spoke this time. "You sounded really scared. Did he hurt you or something?"

"No. His father did." Ara looked at her feet.

"Does this have something to do with why you can't go home?" Sokka asked.

She nodded and began to tell them about her life as a servant. It was pretty much her entire life story, minus a few more personal moments she wanted to keep to herself. When they reached the part about the Fire Lord attacking her, she could see the horror on there faces.

"So, prince Zuko saved you?" Sokka was surprised.

"Yes. And we have the scars to prove it." she subconsciously hugged her waist.

"And the reason Zuko's chasing us is because he believes that's the only way he can regain his honour and go home?"

Ara nodded. Sokka could tell she was exhausted so he stopped the questions and let her sleep.

"What am I supposed to do Uncle? She's travelling with them now. How can I ever face her? How will I ever get the chance to speak to her again?" Zuko's voice had lost its venom.

"Don't worry my nephew. I am sure you will get you chance. Now come, the ship is ready to leave." Iroh started walking back to the harbour.

Zuko followed but then he saw something glistening from the corner of his good eye. He turned to see a small object lying in the dirt. He walked over and picked it up. It was Ara's anklet – the one he gave her as a present. He let the tears flow freely, remembering what happened that day.

* * *

"_Oh Zuko it's beautiful!" Ara exclaimed."But why are you giving me such a gift?"_

"_Because Ara," he picked up the anklet a gestured for her to lift her foot."You have been a great friend and a great teacher to me... and one of the other servants might have slipped that it was your 14__th__ birthday." he blushed as he reattached the chain around her ankle._

_The anklet was made of delicate links of gold and tiny fire opals which matched the colour of her eyes. Zuko had seen it in a jewellery shop in the upper class area of the city. It was sitting in the shop window and he practically begged his uncle to allow him to purchase it. Iroh had questioned him about it but he refused to answer why he'd bought such a thing. It was only once the young prince had been banished that Iroh realised who the jewellery had been given to._

_Ara twisted her foot around, letting the anklet glisten and sparkle in the light. It was a truly beautiful gift. She knew he'd be punished if anyone found out he'd bought something like this for a servant. But that made her love it even more._

"_Thank you Zuko!" she wrapped her arms around his neck."I love it." she leaned out of the hug so she could look into his golden eyes._

_In that moment she felt truly happy. And whether it was that feeling or something else she did not know, but something compelled her to do something she knew she should not. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his._

_Zuko was in complete shock. He'd never been kissed before. Well, his mother had kissed him but those were motherly kisses. No, this was a real kiss. He wasn't sure how to react but he relaxed quickly, leaning into it._

_When she pulled away, she noticed the smile on the prince's face. She sighed with relief, not knowing how he would react to what she did. She returned the smile._

"_I have to go but I'll see you later for practice?" she said as she stood up._

"_Yeah, I'll see you later." the young prince was still overwhelmed by the kiss _

"_Great!" she walked to the door."And thank you. Really." she smiled again and left the room._

_Zuko was left sitting in the middle of the room, grinning from ear to ear. _

* * *

It began to rain again. Zuko fastened the anklet around his wrist, as it was too small for his own ankle, and followed after his uncle.

"I promise I will return it to her," he said quietly to himself."I will find her again."

He boarded his ship and set off after the Avatar.

* * *

**This one took a while but I got there.**

**So what do you think? Review please! (and again feel free to share ideas)**

**if it's not already obvious, I plan to upload weekly on Sundays because I'm still in school and I usually have homework during the week.**

**Anyways bye 'til next week :)**


	4. Chapter 3: Reunions

**Sorry. I've been having a bit of writer's block with this chapter and I refuse to upload unless its decent.**

**K, this one's "the Blue Spirit" so more Zuko (yay! )**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

"Aang Run!" Ara yelled, arrows flying past their faces. One hit her shoulder and she screamed in agony.

"Ara!" Aang ran closer to her,checking the injury.

"Keep going. I'll distract them long enough for you to get away," blood stained her ragged shirt.

"Ara no, I'm not leaving you!" tears welled in his eyes.

"You have to. Sokka and Katara need help and there's no way I'm letting those guys get the Avatar. It has to be me," more arrows flew past their ears. Ara stopped and turned to face the archers.

Aang kept running as Zhao's minions approached. Ara stood herself up, she wasn't going to let them see her in pain. She placed herself in a firebending stance and prepared to attack. The men approached and she threw waves of orange flames at them.

It kept them back long enough for Aang to reach the trees. When she saw him disappear, she gave herself up. The men bound her hands and dragged her away. They were making comments about her and the others but she stayed silent and fought to ignore it.

They brought her to a Fire Nation prisoner facility. When they passed through the gates, a figure was standing waiting for them. Ara was forced to her knees, head pulled back to meet the eyes of her captor. He looked down at her and spat on her face.

"What is this! I asked you to bring me the Avatar, not some stupid little whore," he snapped. The archers were going to reply but they were stopped by the sound a low, feminine voice.

"Zhao.." Ara snarled, smoke drifting from her flared nostrils. Zhao gave her a taunting look.

"Do I know you? Or am I just that well known now?" he smirked.

"She's a firebender sir," one of the archers spoke. "We saw her sir."

"Well there's only been two firebenders to desert the army and live to say it. One of them is an old man so... that would make you Zuko's little whore then wouldn't it?" his smirk grew larger. "Well you used to be..."

"You bastard! If your think you're going to get your way with me then you're damn wrong!" Ara struggled in her restraints. Zhao laughed.

"Take her to one of the chambers and I'll have her later. Right now we need to find out where the Avatar has gone." the soldiers grunted in understanding and dragged Ara, kicking and screaming, to a nearby by building.

* * *

The blue spirit sat atop a guard tower, listening for information. The rumours that Zhao had captured the Avatar were torturing him. Two guards approached. Zuko leaned into the roof, keeping himself hidden.

"So what happened? What did they find?" the first guard asked.

"They were chasing the Avatar but he got away. Although they managed to capture the girl who was with him." the second replied.

A wave of relief passed through Zuko. The Avatar was still fair game and if he could capture his friend from Zhao everything would be easy. _'It must be the water tribe girl. That monk never goes anywhere without her.'_

He waited from the guards to pass and sneaked into the facility.

* * *

Ara was thrown into a bed chamber and tied uncomfortably to the bed. She had been tied face down and had been gagged so she couldn't firebend. It was difficult to breath, but still possible. And any moment now Zhao was going to stroll in and force himself on her. She wasn't going to let that happen.

She had been struggling with the chains on her wrists but she gave up when blood began to drip from the cuts. She had managed to loosen the gag slightly but it was still a challenge to get a decent breath.

After what felt like hours, she heard noise from outside the room. She prepared herself for what was coming until she heard what sounded like a fight. _'Oh please let that be Aang. Please.'_

* * *

Zuko had managed to sneak through the facility with very little problems occurring. When he reached Zhao's 'entertainment' chamber he noticed there was guards posted outside. That meant there was someone in their.

He made a noise to deliberately draw one of the soldiers towards him. He knocked the guard out with ease and waited for the others to follow suit. When they were all unconscious he grabbed the keys and unlocked the door.

He saw Katara tied up on the bed. It made him sick seeing the way Zhao would have treated her, harmed her. Zuko could never do that to anyone and Zhao was shamelessly going to do it to a young girl.

Zuko always said to himself that when he became Fire Lord, he was going to make rape a severe crime. And anyone who committed it would be punished in the worst way possible. Men like Zhao were sick and needed to be locked away.

As Zuko approached the bed, something seemed... off. She was paler than he remembered but that could be due to malnourishment. And she seemed taller but then, it was difficult it tell. It was only when he unchained her, that he realised his misunderstanding.

* * *

She'd heard the figure walk in. she knew it wasn't Zhao or Aang because they would have alerted her to who was approaching. Yet she also felt like she could trust the intruder. She knew they were here to rescue her.

She felt the chains being broken and the sound of metal smashing metal. She massaged her bloodied wrists and turned to face her saviour. And gasped.

Ara was met by a blue mask, twisted and smiling like a demon. The figure wore dao swords on his back, his lean body covered by black clothing. She could sense apprehension from the masked man but did not understand the reasoning behind it.

"What's wrong?" she felt stupid asking that question, given where they were. The figure didn't answer and continued to stare at her. "Please. Answer me."

The blue spirit retreated a few paces, then bowed his head. He reached behind at the strap holding the mask to his face. He untied it and let it fall to the floor. Raven hair flopped down, creating a new mask for his face. He stood straight again and pulled his hair back. Ara gasped, again.

"Zuko..." he met her gaze and gave a soft smile. She was the only person who could make him smile.

She stood up from the bed and wrapped her arms around him. He leaned into the hug but then pulled back when he smelled the blood. He stared at her shoulder in anger.

"What happened? What did Zhao do to you!?"

"It was those archers. One of their arrows clipped my shoulder." she turned so he back was to him."Do you mind?"

He knew almost immediately what she wanted him to do. They had no clean bandages so the only way to prevent the would from getting worse was to burn it. He reached out nervously and placed his hand over the wound. He paused.

"Please Zuko, we don't have much time." her words reached him and he raised the temperature of his palm. He heard her hiss in pain but she did not jump. He could smell the burnt flesh and he cringed at the thought of what he was doing.

When the wound had scabbed over he released Ara's shoulder. She pulled her shirt back over her shoulder and turned to face him. He noticed the mark on her cheek from where a tear had fallen and he reached up and brushed it away with his thumb. She jumped slightly at the contact but she didn't back away.

"We should probably get out now. Zhao could be back any minute." she was looking straight into his eyes."And you need to put your mask back on."

"Okay,"he smiled and then tied the piece of porcelain to his face. He crept towards the door and opened it slowly.

* * *

Zhao stood on the balcony and addressed the crowd of soldiers. He was going to lure the Avatar and capture him. Not only that but he had a new toy to play with. He enjoyed spending nights at the taverns but he preferred his own, personal toys.

Little did he know that his plans were being destroyed by the two teens sneaking through the shadows towards their escape. They were close to the first wall when a watchman spotted them. Suddenly the entire courtyard was alerted to the two, including Zhao.

"GET THEM! DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE!" he bawled. He was not going to let Ara slip from his grasp.

Ara and Zuko were surrounded by soldiers. Ara was firebending but to stay unknown Zuko was only using his swords. They fought through waves of soldiers coming at the and climbed the first wall. They broughtdown the guards there and then jumped over, where more waited.

They reached the second and last gate and became surrounded again. The soldiers blasted fire at them but Ara blocked it. They were about to strike again when Zhao spoke.

"Be careful. I need the girl alive." he whispered to one of the guards.

Zuko heard this and within seconds his swords were crossed over Ara's neck. He glared at Zhao through his mask. Zhao glared back, eyes full of barely controlled rage.

"Open the gate," he snarled.

"But sir I-" one of the guards spoke.

"I said open the gate! She is of no use to me if she's dead!" Zhao yelled and the gate was opened.

Zuko backed out, his swords still around Ara's neck. They were heading for the tree line. Neither of them noticed what Zhao was doing. He stood on the outer wall with his archers.

"Do you have a clear shot?"

The archer nodded.

"Take him out" Zhao smirked.

The archer released the arrow. It flew through the air and smacked straight into Zuko's forehead. He was knocked out instantly.

Ara yelped in surprise and then knelt by Zuko's unconscious figure. She tried to shake him awake but he was out cold. She could hear the soldiers approaching so she lit the grass on fire, cloaking them in smoke.

She lifted Zuko over her shoulders so his weight was spread evenly on her back. She couldn't run fast because he was a lot heavier than her but she managed to make it to the trees and away from Zhao's men.

Ara carried Zuko further into the woods until she found a clearing that she thought would be a safe distance from the facility. She laid him down on the ground and waited for him to wake.

* * *

Zuko wakened and his head thumped painfully. He groaned at the unpleasant sensation and rubbed his temples. When he felt it was safe, he opened his eyes and what they saw made him smile. Ara was sitting by a tiny camp-fire and was roasting something she obviously caught while he'd been out. She'd also managed to patch up a wound on her shoulder which he hadn't noticed until now. the bandage had some blood staining but it didn't look too serious.

She noticed him and smiled while offering some food. He accepted and was surprised by how good it tasted. Though he decided that was because he hadn't eaten since that morning. When he'd finished, a long silence ensued which Zuko eventually broke.

"Come back with me?" he pleaded.

"What?"

"Come with me to my ship. Stay with me Ara, please." the pain in his eyes was unmistakable.

"Zuko... I can't. They're my friends. They need me, I can't just abandon them."

"But you don't belong with them Ara!"

"How do you know?! You don't even know where you belong!" she yelled.

"Of course I know where I belong! I belong in my country. By my father's side. As prince!"

"Agni Zuko! Has it not clicked for you yet!? Your father doesn't care! He's never cared! Heck! Looked at what he did to us!" she lifted her shirt, revealing the burn scars."How can you still believe he cares?" she began to cry.

"I don't Ara. But I still belong in the Fire Nation. And capturing the Avatar is my only way back."

"There is another way. You could always turn against him, join us a fight." Zuko frowned at the suggestion."You could help save our people and help save the world."

"I can't do that." he lowered his head.

"At least think about it," she stood up."I need to go... don't follow me."

She walked away from him. He was too lost in thought to bother following her.

* * *

Zuko walked back to his ship with Ara's words still swirling in his head. _'Betray my father? No! I can't. That would be wrong. My country would never trust me if I turned against its leader. No!' _

He stepped on his ship when he realised he still had her anklet on his wrist. He'd forgotten to return it. He gotten so used to wearing it, in fact, he hadn't taken it off since he found it the day at the port.

He walked past Iroh and spoke quietly.

"I'm going to my room. I am not to be disturbed on any circumstances."

"If that's what you want. Oh! And nephew, where were you last night? You missed music night. It was wonderful."

"I was... trying to take care of unfinished business,"

"Okay. If that's what you say." Iroh chuckled.

Zuko entered his room and collapsed on his bed. He lay there for a while, drifting into a confused and lonely sleep.

* * *

**Yay! It's finished. I'm really sorry for the delay with this chapter.**

**To top off the fact that I had writers block, my teachers decided to overload me with coursework. (which by the way I'm still not finished.)**

**Hopefully the next few chapters will be easier and I'm on holiday next week!**

**I might try to make it up to you guys by writing more than one chapter so until then- **

**bye-bye. :)**


End file.
